As a result of the joint work between Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a report was published on June 23rd that analyzes the impacts of forest fires, which occurred in 2020, on conservation values in Bolivia.
The main data in the document reveal that, between January and December 2020, an area of 4.5 million hectares was affected by forest fires throughout the country, mainly in the departments of Beni and Santa Cruz. It also presents an analysis of the effects at the departmental and municipal levels, in national and subnational protected areas and in indigenous territories, identifying especially the areas of distribution of endemic and threatened species, and the areas of whole forests affected by the fires.
The objective is to contribute with this information to guide decision-making in territorial planning and management processes, and thus avoid or, if necessary, reduce the negative impacts of forest fires on conservation areas and values in the Bolivian Amazon, the Chaco and the Chiquitania.
The indiscriminate use of fire to regenerate pastures and expand the agricultural frontier, driven by the opening of new roads, as well as drought, intensified by climate change, cause fires that affect the forests and biodiversity of our country. In this sense, the document highlights the need to protect these areas of high diversity with the active participation of the competent authorities, civil society and the different stakeholders involved in land management.
Link to the report: https://bit.ly/3x08Emk
Link to the video: https://youtu.be/ivrWxgZP9oU